The Nintendo 64 was well known for many things. Unfortunately role playing games was not one of them. With the launch of the Sony PlayStation most developers of these titles moved to the CD format due to its high storage capabilities. This was a stark change from the Super Nintendo which was the best place to play these in the prior genre, but I digress. There were however a few developers (including Nintendo themselves) that were willing to settle with releasing their RPGs on cartridge format. Today we’re going to take a look at these. This is our list of the Top 10 Best Nintendo 64 RPGs of all time. Let’s take a look.
#10. – Quest 64
I know what you’re thinking. Quest 64? Really? Listen. The Nintendo 64 didn’t have a lot of RPGs and I had no choice with this in mind. Quest 64 isn’t a great game. It is however, playable. The game has you assuming the role of a fledgling wizard named Brian. He sets out to find his father missing father in an.. ahem, quest. The game was impressive in that it was one of the few fully 3D RPGs. No pre-rendered graphics here. This one has many of the genre basics, but it missing some key ones. For one thing you never gain new party members. The game suffers from a lack of new equipment too. Basically you can only gain levels and upgrade your magic. The battle system however is kind of unique. It’s turn based, but when Brian is up you can move around in real time.
#9. – Super Robot Wars 64
Here’s one I struggled through. It’s not that the game is bad. Rather, it hasn’t been translated in any capacity. I had to use my phone with google translate. It was worth it because Super Robot Wars 64 is a really interesting strategy RPG. This is actually the eleventh release in the series. The game involves characters battling inside giant mecha robots The 3D battlefields are impressive even if the characters themselves are sprites. One thing must be said however. Super Robot Wars 64 is hard. Even in moments where I completely understood what was happening I struggled. In my opinion that’s the sign of a good game though. If you’re willing to put in the extra effort Super Robot Wars 64 is worth playing even today. It also hasn’t been re-released anywhere else.
#8. – Shiren the Wanderer 2
Roguelikes have become somewhat of a craze recently. To be honest I’m not the biggest fan of them. With that said Shiren the Wanderer is neat. Unfortunately the game was never released outside of Japan. As the titular character it’s your job to build a castle, and eventually defend it from attacking monsters. Unfortunately you’ll need materials with which to do so, and these are tucked away inside of dungeons. Within these areas you’ll do battle against a myriad of different foes. The twist is that your supplies are limited. You have to plan everything out thoroughly. Once your castle is established you have to defend it from incoming foes who want to break all of your stuff. What I like about this game is its open world approach. You’re held back by your stats and skills. It’s a cool game, and thanks to the translation patch is more accessible.
#7. – Hybrid Heaven
I might be stretching the term of RPG here. This was what Konami released on the Nintendo 64 instead of Metal Gear Solid. It’s a strange mix of genres for sure. Early on it kind of plays like a hybrid third person shooter. When you reach the later areas the game becomes more of a weird mix of wrestling and RPG. Oddly enough it works. You basically take turns inputting commands, and many of these are different physical attacks. Hybrid Heaven gets extra points for being one of the third party big budget games. While it lacks FMV there’s plenty of voice samples, and even cinematic sequences that are fully voiced. What holds Hybrid Heaven back is just how weird it is. There’s no other video game quite like this. If you’re a fan of RPGs you’ll find a lot to like here.
#6. – Pokemon Stadium
At the height of the Pokemon craze Nintendo released Pokemon Stadium. Fans were clamoring for a 3D installment in the series and we did get that, but just with battles. That’s okay because Pokemon Stadium is the real deal. The best part of it is that, using the transfer pak, you can send your Pokemon from the Game Boy games into stadium. If you don’t have a Game Boy or the original games that’s fine. You can simply choose Pokemon in this game to use. While the main quest is fun (with Mewtwo being the final boss) but the real highlight is the mini-games. Because these aren’t RPG related I won’t go into further detail. The battling mechanics are amazing with an announcer, and multiplayer support. Pokemon Stadium is truly one of the best N64 RPGs.
#5. – Mega Man 64
This is another stretch. Hey the Nintendo 64 didn’t have a lot of RPGs so cut me some slack here. Mega Man 64 is a port of Legends on the PS1. While it’s primarily an action adventure game there are enough RPG elements to allow this one to fit on the list. You take command of Mega Man in his first fully 3D adventure. There’s some stat management, and combat requires some finesse. The main thing I love about this game is the world it creates. This one is kind of a dungeon crawler. I mean that in the best way possible. Movement is a little awkward to say the least. There’s a learning curve after all. I do like combat even if it’s clunky. The real highlight however is the RPG elements, and how well they fit the Mega Man universe.
#4. – Onegai Monsters
There were bound to be countless Pokemon clones. After all in the late 90s it was a huge craze. Especially in Japan. Onegai Monsters was a clear attempt to cash in on the popularity of Pokemon. There are however some distinct differences here. Onegai Monsters doe shave you collecting and battling monsters. Combat is a bit different however. Battles are largely turn based but there’s a movement system. Besides that Onegai Monsters is a pretty basic catch em all battling game. Of course the art style never quite matches up to Pokemon. Nor does the gameplay. Still you have to hand it to the developers for giving RPG fans what they wanted.
#3. – Pokemon Stadium 2
Pokemon Stadium was a great game. The only problem was that Nintendo released a new generation on the Game Boy, and it didn’t include them. They came out with a follow up which included all of the new critters here. Besides the large roster update there’s not a whole lot different here. The game still contains the tournament mode wherein you defeat CPU enemies and move up the ladder. You can also use the transfer pak once again to move all of your favorite Pokemon from the Game Boy games into this title. Playing this one again makes me miss the Pokemon Stadium titles. I definitely wish we would get a new one on the Nintendo Switch 2. At the very least it could be released as DLC for the next Pokemon title.
#2. – Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
I loved Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen on the Super Nintendo. That was easily one of the best strategy RPGs on the platform. I was ecstatic to learn that developer Quest released a follow up on the Nintendo 64. This game has you creating various units of characters to manage across battlefield maps. What’s interesting is that their movement is in real-time, but combat is strictly turn based. You don’t actually have direct control when fighting as the CPU chooses which commands to use. The only thing you can do is select between battling and retreating. It sounds limiting but it’s actually a very functional and interesting system. This means that the main strategy here is in the formation of your units, and where to move them on the map. Ogre Battle 64 is a fantastic game and easily one of the best RPGs ever.
#1. – Paper Mario
I’m going to be honest with you. When I first started playing Paper Mario I was really put off. What I was looking for was a sequel to Super Mario RPG, and this ain’t it. With that said the game is actually pretty good. It’s an RPG starring Mario and friends in a world where everything is made of paper. This includes Mario and all of the characters he meets. The battle system is turn based and at first appears traditional. It’s anything but that. Combat is based on timed button presses or holding directions… that kind of thing. It makes the action more interactive which younger fans will especially appreciate. Paper Mario is a great RPG, and as one of the few on the Nintendo 64 it was a welcome release. Don’t let the aesthetics trick you into thinking this is just a game for kids though.
